About a week later, Yu Zhou finally met Jiang Wanli, whom he had wanted to see for a long time.
It wasn't that Jiang Wanli was currently the top celebrity entrepreneur in Jiangbei, making Yu Zhou admire him. Instead, Yu Zhou often wanted to understand the current mindset of this person who had ultimately failed.
This meeting took place at a dinner. Both Yu Zhou and Jiang Wanli were undeniably the focus of the event.
Several district leaders were also present, seemingly hoping to foster cooperation and achieve greater success together.
"Mr. Yu, your reputation precedes you!"
"In business matters, I am no match for you. I've come today to seek your advice."
Jiang Wanli appeared very humble.
This was not because he was on the decline; it was simply his personality.
Strictly speaking, Jiang Wanli's first impression on Yu Zhou was not that of a businessman, but rather someone from a high-tech background.
Frankly, if he had consistently focused on technology, stayed out of management, or found professional managers, the brand "Wan Yan" would never have collapsed so quickly.
After all, his invention of the VCD had caused quite a stir and even made him known worldwide.
With the reputation of that first VCD alone, it would not have been easy for a brand as large as Wan Yan to completely disappear.
However, someone with a high-tech background was not entirely incompetent in business, but his management was certainly not good.
Under such circumstances, if he claimed to be there to learn, it wouldn't be entirely unreasonable for others to understand, would it?
Moreover, outsiders might not know, but Yu Zhou was well aware that the other party was not doing well.
In such an environment, even the slightest accident could lead Jiang Wanli to make a desperate move. If he were to approach Yu Zhou, it wouldn't be an entirely unacceptable situation.
"Mr. Jiang, you jest. How could I possibly be qualified to offer you advice?"
"The fact that the company has developed to its current scale in such a short time is merely due to my good luck. In this overall environment, honestly, most successful people have benefited greatly from favorable conditions, so this is nothing special."
Yu Zhou's words were quite humble. In the presence of such prominent figures, humility often had its advantages.
Of course, this person's mentality was somewhat like that of a newcomer. Because of this, it wouldn't be difficult for him to interpret things in any way he pleased, and it wouldn't be a significant challenge for the other party either.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Yu Zhou felt much less apprehensive now.
Regardless of the eventual outcome, by attending this dinner, he had already made up his mind to cooperate with Jiang Wanli.
"No, no, no. Without forward-thinking business acumen, even if you can create popular products, you will eventually encounter significant problems."
"Wasn't our Wan Yan tripped up by such issues? And the current situation is very dire."
"Therefore, I really want to learn from you and see how we can revitalize this situation."
As expected, this person was indeed technically minded, at least not like a business elite who would engage in subtle maneuvers without getting to the point.
Commercial negotiations, whether they involve psychological games or other aspects, are often difficult to conclude in one or a few meetings. It's not that people dislike discussing things.
It's just that, in many situations, if one gets straight to the point from the beginning, many things could unfold in ways you wouldn't anticipate.
At least, for Yu Zhou, even if he wanted to be direct, he couldn't act that way.
Jiang Wanli, however, was completely different. He gave the impression of a scholar. Once a problem arose, or if he became anxious, he would express his thoughts immediately.
As soon as he finished speaking, many of the bosses at the dinner were somewhat surprised. This didn't sound like something a seasoned businessman would say.
Yet, it happened so coincidentally that Jiang Wanli, despite being highly respected, did not exhibit the qualities of a businessman.
Even Yu Zhou himself felt a bit awkward at this point.
How should he put it? He had indeed felt that Jiang Wanli was somewhat inconsistent with the identity of a businessman from the beginning.
And he had already prepared himself mentally.
But if he started off saying something like this, what would he say next? Would he ask Yu Zhou to dictate strategy in front of everyone?
Well, if that were the case, Yu Zhou would indeed find himself in a difficult position.
People grow, especially as they age.
Under such circumstances, the other person might have this mindset now, but who could guarantee that he would still feel the same way later on?
If that were to happen, it would become very difficult for Yu Zhou to control whether to cooperate in the future.
Yu Zhou knew this clearly, and therefore, he wouldn't genuinely do anything at such a moment.
It was precisely because of this that he felt somewhat conflicted.
However, sometimes, what you fear the most is exactly what happens.
Seeing Yu Zhou remain silent, Jiang Wanli directly spoke up.
"You must be aware of Wan Yan's current situation. I am an amateur in management and cannot even handle marketing effectively."
"Can you give me some advice? I really want to cooperate with you now."
"You know, Director Yu has already told me that you are an absolute genius in marketing."
As soon as these words were spoken, almost everyone in the room turned their gaze to Yu Zhou.
Clearly, they were not entirely sure how successful Yu Zhou was in marketing.
But it wouldn't be accurate to say they knew nothing about him. They all felt a certain degree of respect for Yu Zhou.
However, the specific reasons for his success were something that countless people wanted to understand but couldn't.
"Cooperate?"
At this moment, Yu Zhou's eyes lit up upon hearing the word "cooperate."
It wasn't that this person was greedy and only acted when he saw a benefit, but rather that he was more enthusiastic about such cooperation than anyone else.
This was a significant industrial layout. Under such a plan, it was hard to imagine how he would proceed step by step to build an electronic commercial empire.